Vacuum cleaner nozzle



VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Dec. 31, 1964 INVENTOR Charles FromknechrATTORNEY United States Patent 3,283,356 VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Charles T.Fromknecht, Anderson, S.C., assignor to Westinghouse ElectricCorporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania FiledDec. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 422,808 2 Claims. (Cl. 15400) This inventionrelates, in general, to vacuum cleaners and, more particularly, to anozzle attachment for use therewith.

Most nozzle attachments employ brushes since suction alone will onlyremove a portion of the dirt and lint from a carpet or upholsteredfurniture. One common type of attachment is provided with a singlelength of brush mounted on the nozzle transverse to the normal directionof movement thereof. The dirt which is dislodged from the carpet by thebrush is sucked into a centrally disposed chamber from the inlet openingin the nozzle, portions of the inlet opening and chamber being in frontof the brush and a portion in back of the brush. An arrangement such asthis, at first, appears to be eificient in that suction is provided atthe front of the brush for carrying away dust which is normally pushedforward by the brush and suction at the rear of the brush for carryingaway dust which passes under the brush. However, this arrangement is notdesirable because string-like objects tend to wrap around the brush fromboth sides and become entangled one end with the other. Also, suction isnot adequate along the entire length of the brush, it being somewhatconcentrated toward the center of the nozzle. Furthermore, it will beunderstood that an arrangement of this type is not desirable forcleaning curtains, draperies or the like because of the concentratedsuction.

Another common type of nozzle attachment is provided with an oval-shapedbrush attached to the periphery of the inlet opening of the nozzle.These nozzles have a distinct drawback in that the forward portion ofthe brush sweeps most of the dirt in front of the nozzle such that thesuction has little or no effect on picking up the dirt. Consequently,the only dirt that is picked up is that which manages to pass underneaththe forward portion of the brush and that which is loosened by therearward section of the brush.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a newand improved nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new andimproved nozzle and brush construction which minimizes entanglement ofstring-like matter around the brush element.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved nozzlewhich is suitable for cleaning lightweight objects such as curtains anddraperies.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedbrush nozzle which is simple in construction and in which mounting ofthe brush is readily accomplished without the use of fasteners or thelike.

Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the above cited objects byproviding a nozzle attachment having a flexible body portion with aninterior chamber through which the dust-laden air passes. A brushassembly comprising a flat orifice plate having a plurality of staggeredslots in the longitudinal edges thereof is readily insertable in aperipheral slot in the interior of the flexible body portion throughmanipulation of the body portion. A substantially U-shaped channelmember is secured to one surface of the orifice plate, coextensive withthe longitudinal axis thereof, and is adapted to removably support acleaning brush for dislodging dirt from a surface being 3,283,356Patented Nov. 8, 1966 cleaned. The brush is disposed intermediate theslots so that dirt pushed forward by the brush will be sucked throughcertain of the slots while dirt passing under the brush will be suckedthrough certain other slots on the opposite side of the brush. Thestaggering of the slots serves to distribute the suction at differentpoints along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle thereby rendering thenozzle more eflicient for cleaning draperies, curtains or the like.Furthermore, the staggering of the slots with respect to the centrallydisposed brush minimizes entanglement of string-like objects completelyaround the brush. This is because a portion of the orifice plate liesadjacent the brush opposite from each of the slots preventing at leastone end of the string from wrapipng around one side of the brush. Theends of the string, with this arrangement, cannot become entangled witheach other, it being possible for the string-like object to eventuallybecome dislodged and sucked into the chamber of the nozzle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings,in which:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view representing one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the brush holder and orifice plate; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III III of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIGS. 2 and 3, reference character10 designates generally a vacuum cleaner nozzle attachment comprising agenerally rectangular body portion 11 and a connector tube 12 rotatablyand removably supported in an integrally formed enlarged housing portion13, extending rearwardly of the body portion 11. While the body portion11 may be made from any suitable material, it is preferably molded froma flexible plastic for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

The body portion 11 comprises a pair of longitudinal walls 14 joinedintegrally at their extremities by a pair of transverse walls 16 and atthe top with a wall 17 to form a chamber 18 internally of the bodyportion, which chamber communicates with an open face or inlet opening19 opposite the top wall 17. The inner surfaces of the longitudinal andtransverse walls are provided with a substantially continuous slot orgroove 21 which serves to mount a brush assembly 22 (FIGS. 1 and 3).

The brush assembly 22, made from any suitable material, for example,plastic, comprises a fiat generally rectangular orifice place 23 havinga plurality of staggered slots or openings 24 in the longitudinal edgesthereof which serve as air passageways from the inlet 19 to the chamber18. The assembly 22 further comprises a resilient U-shaped channelmember 26 secured to the plate 23 in a manner adapted to support acleaning brush 27 such that the cleaning brush can easily be removed.The channel member, and, therefore, the brush are positionedintermediate the slots and are coextensive with the longitudinal axis ofthe plate 23. It will be understood that by locating the brushintermediate the slots, the dirt which is pushed in front of the brushwill be sucked into the chamber 18 through the slots adajcent that sideof the brush while the dirt which passes under the brush, toward therear of the nozzle, will be drawn through the slots adjacent theopposite side of the brush. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the slots lieadjacent one side or the other of the brush and opposite a portion ofthe plate 23. This arrangement prevents string ends from simultaneouslywrapping around the brush from both sides thereof and becoming entangledone end with the other thereby allowing the string picked up by thebrush to eventually become dislodged andpulled into the chamber 18through one of the slots 24. As mentioned hereinbefore, body portion 11is preferably molded from a plastic material. This enables the edges ofthe plate 23 to be readily inserted into the groove 21 by manipulatingthe ends of the flexible body portion 11.

It can be seen that the brush nozzle herein disclosed, due to thestaggered arrangement of the slots, lends itself to cleaning draperies,curtains or the like. Ordinarily brush nozzles of the type hereincontemplated are provided with a centrally disposed chamber,consequently, the concentrated suction produced by such an arrangementhas a tendency to suck the fabric into the inlet. This is not the casewhere the suction is distributed along the face of the nozzle contactingthe face being cleaned. Moreover, by distributing the suction in thismanner, a more eflicient nozzle is produced. Utilization of the nozzlefor this purpose is facilitated by removal of the cleaning brush which,as stated hereinbefore, can be readily removed.

While there has been shown and described what is at present consideredto be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications theretowill readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired,therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangementsshown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claimsall such modifications as fall within the the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner having a suction 4, device, incombination, a flexible body portion having a generally elongated openface portion and provided interiorly with a vacuum chamber and having aperipheral groove in the walls thereof in the area of said chamber, anorifice plate insertable in the peripheral groove, a brush supportextending longitudinally of said orifice slate and secured thereto, saidorifice plate, being provided with peripheral notches in thelongitudinal edges thereof, said notches cooperating with the walls ofsaid flexible body portion to provide an air inlets to said vacuumchamber, said notches being staggered with respect to the longitudinalaxis of said orifice plate whereby suction is distributed across theentire surface of the nozzle and a brush in said support.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said brush is removablefrom said brush support for facilitating utilization of the nozzle ondraperies or the like. I

References Cited .by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,276,943 3/1942 Dow. 2,280,751 4/1942 Davis 15-400 X 2,799,040 7/ 1957 Hageal1:5.418 2,932,055 4/1960 Kemper 15371 References Cited by the ApplicantUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,280,751 4/1942 Davis. 3,065,491 11/1962 Amador.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A NOZZLE FOR A VACUUM CLEANER HAVING A SUCTION DEVICE, INCOMBINATION, A FLEXIBLE BODY PORTION HAVING A GENERALLY ELONGATED OPENFACE PORTION AND PROVIDED INTERIORLY WITH A VACUUM CHAMBER AND HAVING APERIPHERAL GROOVE IN THE WALLS THEREOF IN THE AREA OF SAID CHAMBER, ANORIFICE PLATE INSERTABLE IN THE PERIPHEAL GROOVE, A BRUSH SUPPORTEXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ORIFICE SLATE AND SECURED THERETO, SAIDORIFICE PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH PERIPHERAL NOTCHES IN THE LONGITUDINALEDGES THEREOF, SAID NOTCHES COOPERATING WITH THE WALLS OF SAID FLEXIBLEBODY PORTION TO PROVIDE AN AIR INLETS TO SAID VACUUM CHAMBER, SAIDNOTCHES BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAIDORIFICE PLATE WHEREBY SUCTION IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SURFACEOF THE NOZZLE AND A BRUSH IN SAID SUPPORT.